Automatic pitman



Feb. 20, 1923.

- 1,446,111 B. R. BENJAMIN ET AL AUTOMMICv .PITMAN Filed Dec. 23, 1918 Patented Feb. zo, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICE. i

BERT R. BENJAMIN, OF OAK PARK, AND CHARLES PEARSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC PITMAN.

Application iled December 23, 1918. Serial No. 268.086.

fo all whom it may com-'67%.'

Be it known that We, BERT R. BENJAMIN and CHARLES PEARsoN, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Gak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Iitmen, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Our invention relates to pitman connections, and more especially to pitman connections .for mowers and like machines.

The object of our invention is 4to provide means whereby the wear between the pitman and the associatedand cooperating parts of the machine is automatically compensated for and the parts are at all times held in proper adjustment.

A further object is to provide means which may be easily and quickly manipulated to connect the pitman to the cooperating part and disconnect the pitman therefrom.

These objects are attained in the present instance by the use in connection with resilient pitman straps of controlling means by which the straps may be clamped; further, by the use of means by Which the straps may be spread apartto release the. cooperating bearing member, and still further by the use of a controlling member which has parts thereof adapted to clamp and has also parts adapted to spread the straps. Means may also be provided for retaining the strap controlling member in its various positions of adjustment, such as in clamping position and in spreading4 position. -4

In' Working out the embodiment of our invention illustrated, it has also been found advisab1e,-although it is not necessary,-to so form a portion of the controlling member that this portion will soengage the cooperating bearing memberA with which the -pitman is connected, as to separate the pitman from the bearing member as the straps are spread. .Y

In the accompanying drawing We have illustrated one embodiment of our invention, and in this draWing,-

Figure 1 shows a top plan View of the grassward end of the lpitman having our improved clamping device mountedthereon;

The pitman connection with which our y improved strap controlling member is used has the usual resilient straps 11 and 12 scoured in lany suitable manner to the grasswa-rd end 13 of the pitman, and these straps have formed on their grassward ends spherical bearing surfaces 14 which coact with the spherical bearing member 15 secured to the knife head of the mower or to any other suitable element which it is desired to operate with the pitman. The strap controlling member is made in the form of a lever having a central portion 16 pivotally and reciprocally mounted in slots 17 formed in the straps 11 and 12, these slots registering with each other. The controlling member is provided at the extremities of the central' portion 16 with spaced iingers 18 having inclined bearing surfaces 19 formed on their inner portions. -These inclined bearing surfaces coact with inclined cam surfaces 20 formed on the straps 11 and 12, and the lingers 18 in their position of adjustment Where the pitman straps are spread-apart, seat in depressed portions 21 formed in the pitman straps adjacent the cam surfaces 2Q, these depressions being provided to permit the spread of thepitman straps to release' the cooperating bearing member. The' controlling member is provided at its end opv .a toggle construction has been provided 1ncludmg a link member 24 having spaced lugs 25 pivoted to a lug 26 which is formed on and vprojects from the central portion I6 of the controlling member. This inember 24 has a. rearwardly extending shank portion 25 and a spring 26' encircles the shank' portion and bears at one end against a shoulder 27 formed on the member 24, and at its opposite end is seated in a socket 28 formed in the grassward end of the pitman.

3y locating the pivot of the memberV 2a in offset relation with respect to the centra-l portion 16 of the controlling' member, the .spring 26 fulfills a double function, namely, locking the controlling member in clamping position as shown in Fig. 2. and also locking the controlling member in spreading position as shown in Fig. 3, In this connection it will be noted that the central portion 16 is not only capable of rotary movement, but is also capable of bodily movement longitudinally with respect to the straps 11 vand 12 for automatically taking up wear on the hearing members.

I-Iaving described the construction of our improved pitman strap controlling member, we will now set forth briefly the operation of the same.

In its clamping position the controlling member rests with its portion 22 seated on the upper edges of the pitman straps and with the. fingers 18 engaging the cam surfaces 20. In this position the spring 26 forces the fingers grasswardly or forwardly so that the inclined bearing surfaces 19.on the fingers will slide on the cam surfaces 20 of the pitman to a position in which the spherical bearing portions of the straps are in proper engagement with the. spherical bearing member with which they cooperate. As wear occurs between these 4cooperating parts, the spring constantly forces the lingers still further forwardly, thereby taking up the Wear. It will be noted that the rotary movement of the fingers 18 of the pivoted portion 16 effect a relatively considerable adjustment of the straps 11 and 12, while the bodily mo-vement of these fingers effects a relatively slight adjustment of the straps 11 and 12. In other Words, by reason of the cam surfaces 2O and 21 the rotation of t-he lever 22 from the position shown in Fig. .3 to the position shown in Fig. 2, effects a. considerably grea-ter clamping of the straps 11 and 12 than does the bodily movement of the locking lever 22.

By means of this construction also a great latitude is provided for the size of the bearing member with which the pitman is to cooperate, that is, if a large bearing member is inserted between the pitman straps, the lingers 18 will be forced rearwardly thereby against the tension of the spring, whereas if a smaller member is to be used the spring automatically forces the lingers forwardly. The spring L26p also acting below the pivot of the controlling member locks this cont-rolling member in clamping position.

When thc operator desires to release thc straps from the cooperating member, thc port-ion 22 of the controlling member is thrown in an anti-cloekwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 3, where this member will engage W'ith the spherical vbearing member and in addition to spreading the pitman straps apart through the inclined edges 23 of the portion 22, will lift the pitman straps on the bearing member and force these members apart. When it is desired to again place the pit-man and the cooperating member in operating position7 pressure is exerted on the pitman straps thereby raising the member 22 until the bearing member 16 is disposed between the spherical bearing portions 14 of the straps, and the portion 22 of the controlling member is then swung in a clockwise direction, thereby clamping the straps in proper adjustment on the bearing member.

IWhile we have in the abovev specification described one embodiment which our 'invention may assume, it should be distinctly un'- Iderstood that this embodiment is shown merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention, and that modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as expressed in the following claims:

1. In a pitman having resilient straps, means including a member having reciprocable and rotary movement with respect to said pit-man for forcing said straps toward each other.

2. In a pitman having resilient straps, means including a. member having a reciprocable and rotary movement with respect to said pitman for forcing said straps toward each other, and resilient means for actuating said member to clamping position.

3. In a pitman having resilient straps, means including a member having a reciprocable and rotary movement with respect to said pitman for forcing said straps toward each other, and single means for locking said member in a plurality of positions of adjustment.

4. In a pitman having resilient straps, means including a member having a rotary movement with respect to said straps for forcing said straps toward each other and 12o for spreading said straps, and resilient means for holding said member in clamping or spreading position.

5. In` a pitman having resilient straps, means including a member having radial 1125 movement with respect to said straps for clamping and for spreading said straps, and single resilient means for holding said member in clamping or spreading position.

6. In a pitman having resilient straps,

9. In a pitman having resilient straps,.-

a strap controlling member having a central portion rotatably and slidably mounted in' registering slots in said straps for forcing said straps to clamping position.V

10. In a pitman having resilient straps,

a stra controlling member having a central rotata le portion, spaced fingers carried by said central portionl and adapted to clamp said straps, and a member also carried by said central ortion for ope-rating said controllin mem er.

1.1. n a pitman having clasping straps, a pivotally mounted member movable bodily with respect to said straps, and means for locking said movable member against pivotal movement, said means electing a bodily movement of said member when locked against pivotalmovement.

12. In apitman having clasping straps, a pivotally mounted member movable bodily with respect to said straps, and resilient means for locking said movable member against pivotal movement, said means effectin a bodily movement of said member when ocked against pivotal movement.

13. In a pitman having 'clasping straps, a pivotally mounted member movable bodily longitudinally with respect to said straps, and means for locking said movable member against pivotal movement, said means efectin a bodily'movement of said member when ocked against pivotal movement. I

14. In a pitman having clasping straps, a member mounted for pivotal movement and carried by said straps and movable bodily relative thereto for adjusting said straps, the pivotal movement of 'said member-effecting relatively considerable adjustment of said straps While said bodily movement of said member effects a relatively slight adjustment of said straps. v

15. In a pitman connection, a bearing member, oppositely disposed clamps engaging said bearin member, a forkpivotally and longitudinally movable relative to said clamps for closing said clamps u pon said bearing member, and means carrie by said said straps having aligne fork and movable therewith for forcing said clamps apart.

` 16.A A pitman reciprocable an spect to said lpitman for jadjustmg; said straps, the rotary movement'v of said member effectin 'a' relativelyI 'considerable' ad# justment otsaid Vstraps while the recipro-f cable movement ofsaid member effecting Ea relatively slight movementl `of saidstraps 17. In a pitman having resilient straps, a fork member disposed between said straps and means for rotating and reciprocating said member relative to said straps.

yhaving "resilient straps, means includmglla vforked memberfha'ivl'rn;'y

rotary movement with fre-" ,l 70

18. In a pitman having resilient straps,

said straps. having aligned apertures therein and a member passing through said apertures slidably rotatably engaging said straps for controlling the adjustment of said straps.

19. In a pitman havin resilient straps,

apertures therein and a rotary and reciprocable member passing through said apertures and slidably engaging saidv straps for controjlling the adjustment of said straps.

20. In a pitman having resilient straps, said straps having aligned apertures therein and a rotary and reciprocable member passing through said apertures and slidably engaging the outside surfaces of said straps vfor controlling the adjustment of sald straps.

21. In a pitman having resilient straps, la forked member disposed between said straps, a spring connected with and adapted to actuate said member and means for rotating and reciprocating said member relative to said straps.

22. In a pitman having resilient straps,

said straps having aligned apertures therey inand a single member passing through said apertures and tensionally connected to said pitman for controlling the adjustment of said straps.

23. In a pitman having resilient straps,

means including a member having a rotary movement with respect to said straps for clamping or spreading said straps, and single resilient means for holding said member in clamping or spreading position.

24. In a pitman having resilient straps, a clamping member slidably engaging both of said straps, a link pivotally connected with said member .and means for tensionally connecting said link with said pitman.

25. In a pitman having resilientl straps, a forked member disposed between said straps and slidably engaging the outer surfaces of said straps, a link pivotally connected with said member and means for tensionally connecting said link with said pitman.

26. In a pitman having clasping straps, a

plurality of dierent cumming surfaces straw for adjusting said.- straps relative to A formed on the outer sides of each of said each other.

straps., and u. membermounted on said straps In testimony whereolr` We aix our signaeugaligezrbled with the calmmiug surfaces of tures in the presence of two Witnesses. 5 bot of sai straps for c ampin' smid straps.

27. In a. pitman having claisvping straps, said straps having double camming surfaces on the outer sides thereof, and a, member .Witnessesz mounted on said straps and engmgeable with FRANK A. ZABILKA,

10 the double cumming surfaces of both of said JAMESJ. PUNCH. 

